The World Above
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: "Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter ensnared by some fish-eater's hook?"
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Stating the obvious, I don't own The Little Mermaid. The story belongs to Hans Christian Anderson, and the version I'm working off belongs to Disney._

_Summary: "Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter on the end of some Fish-eater's hook?" Ariel's wandering could have gone very, very badly..._

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**THE WORLD ABOVE**

King Triton had warned his daughter again and again that humans were to be avoided, that she was not to go to the surface.

Perhaps it was the memory of his beloved wife, trapped in a fish-eater's net and screaming for him to get their children to safety, while the humans laughed about the fame and fortune that such a prize would bring them, that made him so stern with his adventurous youngest daughter.

But Ariel was sixteen, and immortal as all teenagers were, totally heedless of the dangers that came from running off without telling anyone, with only a fish for company or protection. And the more he tried to protect her, the more she chafed at what she saw as her father being unreasonable.

Their latest argument over the matter had ended in a shouting match, though Triton hated raising his voice to his children, before Ariel had swum away in tears. He had sent Sebastian to keep an eye on her.

King Triton had no illusions about whether or not the crab would succeed in keeping Ariel in one place, but perhaps his presence would inspire her to be a bit more careful, if only to spare Sebastian from Triton's wrath.

Despite their frequent clashes, Triton loved Ariel with all his heart, so when Flounder and Sebastian returned alone, frantic with the news that Ariel had been caught in a fishing net, attached to a large Human Ship, Triton didn't think twice about leaving orders for his warriors to stand ready to protect the Kingdom, should Humans come searching, summoning his elite personal guard, and breaking his own decree that Humans were to be avoided at all costs.

He would not lose Ariel forever to the land and its fish-eating barbarians.

_tlm_

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_A/N: So I was listening to the Broadway soundtrack and watching Ariel's beginning when it hit me. Triton had a good reason to be wary of the Humans, no matter how fascinating they might be. If Ariel really had been caught in a fishing net, rather than a few moments curiosity, what would happen? So farit's just a quick 'what if', but may become longer if I get the inspiration._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Little Mermaid. Same old song and dance._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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**CHAPTER TWO**

Ariel was scared.

She should have listened to her father. She could have compromised with him, the occasional visit to the surface as long as she told him and was accompanied with a guard or something, and gone at night or at High Noon, when a possible sighting would be doubted as a trick of the eyes.

Talia, one of the mermaids in her father's Elite, would have backed her up, claiming a chance to gain intelligence on a potential threat.

Instead, she had become angry that her father refused to be moved by her protests, evaded Sebastian's attempts to keep her out of trouble, and now found herself caught in a net, surrounded by Humans, not all of whom looked friendly.

Finally, a human with a big hat, like the pictures of sea captains Ariel had collected in her grotto, broke the silence. "Huh. Never thought I'd actually be blessed to see a mermaid. Only thing better than this would be to see King Triton himself."

Better for Ariel, certainly, but not for the Humans. Even if Ariel managed to get out of this on her own, there was almost certainly going to be a hurricane in the near future, aimed straight at the boat that had taken her.

But the captain's words had opened the gates, and the humans crowded around, trying to get a closer look, as though Ariel was in interesting new rock formation after a volcano. A short sailor, whose grin revealed several missing teeth, elbowed a man who looked as though he would rather be anywhere else. "Not so much 'Nautical Nonsense', now, is it, M'Lord?"

A tall young man, near to Ariel's age, knelt down beside her. "Don't be afraid, miss. No one here will hurt you."

His clear blue eyes were kind, and Ariel almost believed him, but her trust was shattered when she was attacked by something huge and hairy, which made a sound like the honking of the seals, but much louder and harsher. Hampered by her tail, Ariel tried to scramble backward into the crush of bodies as another sailor dragged the animal away.

A few of the sailors laughed, but were cut off by an immense crash of lightning. The last time Ariel had heard that level of her father's fury had been when a merman from a different kingdom (the ocean was too large to be ruled by just one king, after all) had made a dirty joke about Ariel's oldest sister, Aquata. It stuck in her memory as one of the few times she had seen her sister cry, and one of the even fewer she had actually seen her father lose his temper. King Triton had raised his voice at her sometimes when he caught her visiting the surface, but never to that extent of fury.

Despite the growing storm, Ariel couldn't help but feel relieved. Clearly, Sebastian and Flounder had returned safely, and her father was looking for her. But the ocean, even just her father's Kingdom, was a big place, and held hundreds, if not thousands, of ships. It could be a long time before they found her.

* * *

The sailors might not have known the reason for such sudden fury, but they were not so foolish as to stay on the open water in a hurricane, especially if there was a chance to make it back to a safe harbour. Even as the ship turned, Ariel could see that the storm was heading more to the left, which Ariel knew to be a favourite fishing spot. Of course, her father would look for fishing boats first, if Flounder had said that she had been caught in a net.

They were making good speed toward shore as Ariel tried desperately to think of a way to signal where she was.

Of course! Once, when she was very small, Ariel had become lost when they had visited a travelling fair. She had been terrified, but Triton had found her quickly. Ariel had been singing a lullaby to make herself feel better, and promptly burst into tears when her father had located her. Triton had soothed her with the gentle care that few outside of his family saw, and said that he would always find her, and would know the sound of her singing anywhere.

Ariel did not remember much of her mother, but she remembered a love song that Queen Athena had been very fond of, and would sing whenever one of the seven sisters was sad or upset.

"_What would I give to live where you are?_

_What would I pay to stay here beside you?_

_What would I do to see you smiling at me?_

_Where would we float, where would we swim,_

_Below all these waves cool and dim?_

_Just you and me, and I could be,_

_Part of your world."_

The storm stopped moving toward the fishing boats, and began moving twice as fast, chasing the ship that Ariel was trapped on.

But the ship was already in the harbour, and the sailors were yelling and dropping anchors and throwing ropes, and the young man with the blue eyes was being hustled off the boat and up to a castle, Ariel in tow.

As the sight of the bay faded into the distance, so did Ariel's hope. Rescue would be delayed until the sea-people could find a way to reach her on land.

_lm_

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_A/N: Second part up. I hope it sounds all right, and I didn't completly mangle "**Part of Your World**__" when I adapted it._

_Thanks, Nat _


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Little Mermaid, or any of the associated characters. All credit goes to Hans Christian Anderson and to Disney._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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**CHAPTER THREE**

King Triton was intimidating at the best of times, especially if you didn't know him.

Right now, however, any foreign ambassadors were scurrying for cover whenever King Triton was announced to be within hearing range, and though they didn't find out about it until much later, at least one power-hungry Ocean-Ruler (King Triton couldn't be expected to rule the entire Aquatic World, after all) changed their mind about a hostile confrontation.

King Triton's youngest daughter had been captured by Humans, like Queen Athena before her, and the Sea King was angry. While he had discovered that ordinary fishermen were not responsible for his missing daughter, sailors and fishermen were venturing onto open waters in mortal fear of their lives, as hurricanes and howling gales would appear from skies that had been clear and blue only a moment ago.

Many were refusing to leave the safety of solid ground, no matter what the merchants who relied on the trade ships threatened or offered, and even the greediest captain was being just as stubborn, unwilling to risk ship or crew until this strange weather had stopped.

Unfortunately, Prince Eric had intended to protect the mermaid he had found by keeping her a secret, so no-one outside his crew was aware of any potential reason for the storms, much less able to offer a potential solution. To be fair, the Prince meant well, but his ignorance of the common sea legends was scanty, having been raised by overly-practical people with little interest in sea-faring, and his original crew were too fearful of exactly how far the Sea King's reach extended to leave their homes, and could not enlighten him.

Also, he was doing his best to soothe the fear of the little mermaid with the lovely singing voice, and quite possibly falling in love with her in the process. She was the only person he had met so far who loved the sea as much as he did, and was willing to describe the many creatures and treasures she had encountered, in exchange for explaining exactly what human objects were for.

She would not say anything about herself, her family or her home, but it was better than nothing, and at least Eric didn't gawk at her like everyone else.

She hoped her father would find her soon. When she was returned to the welcoming depths of the ocean, rather than just the large pool on the human palace grounds, she would never go to the surface again.

* * *

Talia had been nicknamed 'Tsunami' a long time ago, largely because you never saw her coming until she hit you with devastating force. One of Princess Alana's childhood friends, she had been recruited as an 'undercover' Royal Guard, posing as a favoured young courtier, while doubling as a bodyguard and spy on those who looked to be stirring up trouble.

Now, her spying talents were being put to a better use.

She had been set to find where Princess Ariel was being kept, and a way to retrieve her. Though she was leery of the world above, she would do anything her King commanded, and nearly anything to stop her friend's weeping for her lost sister.

* * *

Prince Eric was walking by the river, trying to get his mind off the pretty mermaid. He was crossing a small bridge when he finally succeeded, thanks to a dark, lithe form exploding from the water on one side, tackling him and plunging back into the icy water.

Long, dark hair streamed around them, twined with sea-plants as a sort of camouflage, and deceptively slender arms encircled him like iron bars as they sped through the waterways. The being that held him surfaced whenever they passed somewhere secluded, long enough for him to take a breath, but not enough for him to yell or say anything, much less demand to know where he was being taken.

That question was answered when they reached the harbour, and a ball of some kind of plant was shoved into his mouth, somehow allowing him to breathe underwater. This at least allowed him to gulp without drowning when they finally stopped, although the expression on the face of the towering, muscular mer-man suggested that it might be the preferable option.

Normally, he would have offered a polite greeting, as the crown the mer-man wore suggested that he was the King Triton the sailors had spoken of, but the words somehow got lost on the way to his mouth. He was almost glad that none of his advisors or subjects was around to hear the strangled squeak that emerged instead.

King Triton did not smile, but raised a large golden trident, pointing it directly at Prince Eric's heart. "Where is my daughter, human?"

The mermaid was the daughter of the Sea King? Absurdly, the first thought that crossed Prince Eric's mind was that at least Grimsby wouldn't be able to protest that the mermaid wasn't royalty as an objection to marriage. Of course, Eric wasn't quite foolish enough to voice that thought at this particular time. "She's your daughter?"

The trident prodded him, hard, and the mermaid who had captured him started to draw a blade of her own. Eric hastily continued. "Um, she's in the pool at my palace. I swear she hasn't been mistreated in any way."

The Sea King did not seem appeased in the slightest. "And I am to trust the word of a barbaric fish-eater who kidnapped my precious Ariel? Why have you not returned her to her home?"

For the first time in his life, Eric wished that he were anywhere but the sea. "I did not know where her home was, and no ship has been able to put to sea for weeks. My first thought was to keep her safe."

King Triton frowned. "And no ship will put to sea until Ariel is returned to us. Talia!"

Eric was confused at the last, wondering if it was some kind of sea-folk language, but realizing that it was a name when the mer-maid who had captured him snapped to attention. "Your Majesty?"

King Triton's voice still made the waters of the Arctic feel warm. "You will accompany the fish-eater to his home, and watch over Ariel until she is returned home. I will not leave her unguarded another second."

The mermaid, Talia, saluted. "I hear and obey, my King!" she glanced down at her tail, wanting to point out a potential problem, but not sure how to phrase it without someone being skewered by the angry monarch. "Er, Your Majesty…"

King Triton also realized the issue, turning toward the shore. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he expected them to follow, and Prince Eric didn't have a choice, when Talia grabbed him in a none-too-gentle hold, dragging him after the Sea King.

* * *

They halted just out of the shallows on a beach near the palace.

Tossing Prince Eric onto the beach, Talia held still as the Sea King touched his trident gently to her tail, causing it to glow softly as the tail turned into two long, slender legs, though thankfully King Triton had been thoughtful enough to transform her sea-shells into a simple human dress, as well. Talia wobbled a bit as she walked to the shore, but managed to remain upright. "Right, you, lead the way. Your Majesty, I will send word as soon as possible."

Prince Eric wasn't foolish enough to provoke King Triton by speaking, especially after that display of power, and tried to ignore the dark, furious eyes boring into his back as he led Talia to the palace, moving rather quicker than normal.

The only bright point of the day was the look of unrestrained joy on Ariel's face when she recognized the other mermaid, who splashed into the pool and threw her arms around Ariel, heedless of her soaked dress.

When Ariel burst into tears of mixed terror and relief, clinging to Talia, Eric slipped away to visit his captain, hoping to find any kind of answers.

_tlm_

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_A/N: OK, this took way longer than I planned to update (over ten months!) but it isn't dead! Other stories have been taking up most of my attention, but I promise, I will finish this one._

_FF.n has developed a nasty habit of deleting or miss-spelling random words, no matter how many times I edit the document, so if anyone can point them out, I would be very grateful._

_As always, Constructive Criticism is very much appreciated, and if anyone has questions, please remember to log in so that I can reply. Suggestions or things that you would like to see are also welcome, though I can't promise that I will include all of them._

_Thanks, Nat _


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